Dardanus

Description

After the exploration of the “five” Missae Breves, crowned by the success of the original version of the Mass in B minor, the ensemble Pygmalion records Rameau’s Dardanus, following a concert cycle that received unanimous critical acclaim. Although superior from a dramatic point of view, this second version of Dardanus proposed by the ensemble Pygmalion has, to this day, never been revived, except for the famous aria “Lieux funestes” from Act IV. A new edition (by Gilles Rico) was prepared on the basis of the 1744 edition, also incorporating the many variants introduced by Rameau between 1744 and 1760, these constantly aiming to enrich the emotional power of the music. Originally entirely derived from the restrictive form of Lully’s tragédie lyrique, but also showing a marked taste for “extraordinary” stories, this work presents a more intimate and human sense of drama, thus paving a very clear path toward the psychological explorations of the Classical period.